


Vieni Su

by VilleneuveStGrgs



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: F/F, Post-Oak Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VilleneuveStGrgs/pseuds/VilleneuveStGrgs
Summary: Sitting right next to her with their upper arms grazing against each other, Carol was looking out into the great canvas as well. This was not New York, "no personal space" was all fine and well and no one had given them odd looks so far.Therese basked in the unusual thrill of leaning into the subtle touch… for this was almost unimaginable back home. Maybe being foreigners in a touristic area really did give them some free passes.
Relationships: Carol Aird/Therese Belivet
Comments: 40
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is from the song "Vieni Su (Say you love me, too)"
> 
> I like this version the best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWqbuZSeeec
> 
> Enjoy :)

It took Therese all the tidying and packing up, all those tiring hours traveling from New York to Lake Como in Northern Italy, and then another half day strolling leisurely from one cone of gelato to the next for her to realize… that this trip with Carol marked five full years since the day she braced her heart to come inside the Ritz Tower Hotel for some good tea and heartfelt love confessions.

The realization washed over and she gasped (inaudibly), almost as if this very second had offered her some sort of incredible epiphany.

What did all of this mean?

Looking around with incredulity since she could not believe that she was the last person alive on Earth to realize something _this_ important, Therese halted her footsteps… Quietly stood in awe…

And as if on cue, Carol started to slow down and turned to her almost immediately.

_Oh, Carol…_

"Something’s the matter?"

It wasn't as though she could just blurt this discovery out, out into the open air like that, being surrounded by blissful Italians on vacation or not. She blinked and smiled slowly – "No, nothing's the matter. I just realized that we've walked past a spot that could perfectly capture the color of this water."

Her muse mirrored her grin with an easy hum

"Alright darling, let us walk back? Where is it? Is it by the bench over there?"

Therese almost tripped over herself, halfway overthinking about her own forgetfulness (Five years this month! And it’d flown right off of the top of her head like that!), halfway endeared upon seeing that Carol seemed utterly happy and willing to bend to every single whimsical demand of hers. No matter the hour of the day, and on top of that she was certain that the blonde woman was getting increasingly hungry.

The grumpy kind of hunger that could only be soothed by very good white wine.

"It's fine Carol, we can go back after dinner. Let's go get that fish dish you told me about?"

"Don't be silly darling, the sun is setting, look. How can you take photos of this brilliant color after dinner when it's gotten dark?"

Her muse, her Carol touched her by the elbow and led both of them back to the wooden bench overlooking the mass of deep silvery water. Very well, then.

In all honesty, Therese had not the slightest idea as to which corner she should walk to, having invented the need to take photos on the spot to distract the other woman from discovering her private musings… And so she was so, so very pleasantly surprised upon finding out that this spot they were settling into was just _perfect_. And on top of that, Carol was the one who had chosen it, not her.

Both of them had great intuition when it came to all things artistic, Therese was well aware of that. She had never understood why Carol showered all kinds of praises on her and insisted on acting so humbly about her own creativity.

The beautiful person she had loved for the past five years was now looking at her expectantly with an open smile – "Here?"

Here was beyond perfect.

"Yes, here. Sit down with me, won’t you? And why are you being all smiley like that?"

She stared as the blonde let out a deep and throaty chuckle

"Oh. Darling, you're so funny. Of course I am in a great mood. You're looking so _fine_ today, you know?"

Right… There was no use in hiding her heated blush. Flattered beyond measure, Therese clumsily reached for her camera and started aiming it around to avoid the pair of intense grey eyes now in the middle of shamelessly devouring her face.

Five years this month… and she had been much, much too distracted with work throughout the days leading up to their adventure to realize. Of course, when they first started planning and putting money aside for this trip, it had been with the intention to celebrate this loving relationship of theirs – as was their tradition every time Spring rolled around.

In January, they were _ecstatic_. So much that one Saturday morning, Carol even dragged an amused Abby in through the hallway to show her the map of all the villas they could visit by ferry. Each palace was color-coded and surrounded by words noting ticket prices, opening hours and if they should spend some time exploring the nearby town as well.

In February, it was all they could think of to whisper to each other about, late at night as their bodies started to cool down underneath the covers. Hearing the blonde woman cite simple phrases and numbers in Italian had made for a very heated Valentine's Day.

Mid-March, Therese suddenly was hit with a wave of work and deadlines, so overwhelmed by it all that by the third week of non-stop assignments piling up one against another haphazardly, Carol had come home late one afternoon to catch her gazing out from the large window in their living room. Bearing a look on her face so _dramatic_ all households on this side of the Madison Avenue could wince in sympathy (this was a verbatim quote from Carol’s own words) that the latter had to kiss softly and repeatedly all over her face for a good amount of time just to convince her to go out for a relaxing dinner.

So that explained it, then. But, still… Therese was feeling somewhat disappointed in herself that she could forget about such a beautiful, wonderful month that April always was. Five years ago, their first April together, after a certain dinner that she could never forget, they had tried for their first kiss again and it tasted just as sweet as all the ones that had preceded that moment – of that, she remembered very, very well.

A bit salty from tears, although the lovely sugary sweetness from their lips coming together could never be drowned out.

Metaphorically fanning herself at the memory, she gulped and returned to reality.

From a distance, there loomed the sight of the villa they planned to come visit tomorrow, first thing in the morning. "Villa del Balbianello" was one of the few names that’d been circled – several times – on the map they'd studied intently. For this one-week trip, they had ended up renting a cabin sitting by the foot of its hill, in a residence designed so that each lodge came along with a private patch of lawn. Tiny as it was, it offered an unobstructed view of the lake and the walk up to the villa's gates did not seem to be all too strenuous nor too far.

If they were to be among the first ones to arrive, maybe they could settle into a corner in the empty garden to enjoy each other’s company for quite some time before all the other crowds showed up.

The pink shades of sunset were settling marvelously on the pool of water. There was something so special about the way all the ferries and private boats were zipping around, making waves lick up against the shore and glint soft gold and fire across the vast area. After a few more shots, she lowered the camera back down to appreciate nature with her own two eyes.

Sitting right next to her with their upper arms grazing against each other, Carol was looking out into the great canvas as well. This was not New York, "no personal space" was all fine and well and no one had given them odd looks so far. She basked in the unusual thrill of leaning into the subtle touch… for this was almost unimaginable back home. Maybe being foreigners in a touristic area really did give them some free passes.

Therese stole another glance. She knew that a good dinner and a couple servings of white wine would bring a constant smile onto those ruby red lips, and then hopefully her attempt to ask Carol to become the eternal Mediterranean muse in front of her camera would come forth somewhat easier.

She was so shy and fussy upon seeing the handful of film rolls Therese had shoved into her luggage, right next to toiletries and fresh undergarments. Well, one of the perks of being the person who'd stolen Carol's heart and had not let loose was that she'd always have her way… sooner or later.

If and only if she said _yes_ and meant it too, of course.

(By the end of this trip, if Therese had to leave Italy behind without a brand-new photo album at least two inches thick, she would consider contacting the government and the wine industry for a full refund.)

Knocking softly onto her arm, Carol wondered – "Well, _somebody_ 's looking deep in thought."

But she still wanted some more time to think about her earlier realization (Five years!!!)

"I'll tell you, but maybe later" – She got off the bench and made a show of towering over the blonde woman with her full height thanks to standing up – "So. Where should we have dinner tonight?"

Carol squinted up with great amusement – "It's not far from the ferry station, come on then."

-

After the waiter had put the bottle of white wine down and left to tend to other tables, Carol picked it back up to pour another hefty amount into both of their glasses. Therese took a moment to eye the gelato counter sitting twenty feet away from them.

When she turned her attention back to peer into grey eyes (having chosen the flavors she'd want for desserts), they looked like they had been roaming and kissing all over her face for the past ten minutes. And to think that they were out here in public…!

But alas, no one seemed to mind. Other tables were chatting away in rapid Italian, they all looked happy and most of them seemed to be enjoying one kind of fish or another.

"Carol?"

"Hmm?" – But no other sound came out afterward, and their calves started to bump underneath the thin tablecloth.

"What did we order?"

Grey eyes blinked lazily even as the footsie game went on, the blonde woman's face now was supported on top of her palms: her whole demeanor seemed steady in her amorous look towards Therese.

"Some kind of fish they caught fresh from the lake, half of them grilled, half lightly breaded and fried. Although…"

The playful lilt of her voice lured her in like a lovesick kitten.

"What?"

" …Well, I can't seem to remember their name in English, darling. You're being much too distracting."

She widened her eyes and looked around again. No one had caught onto their conversation – each table merry inside their own bubble – although she was starting to think that all the other diners could never be as happy as the way Carol was making her feel.

Her muse had always been brave beyond comparison, daring to say all the things she knew would please Therese. While she loved and admired her for it, there could still be plenty of people around who understood their language – "Oh. Carol… We should be careful…"

Carol sat up straighter with a tiny smile, looking sensible and poised as ever.

Their food arrived as soon as the blonde had finished winking, and they clicked their glasses together to cheer the occasion with wide grins. Therese watched the way that graceful neck bobbed up and down to swallow for a long moment before starting to attack her plate as well.

During her time spent around Richard and his family, she had come to learn several things about "rituals" reserved for couples and the likes of it.

Engagement and marriage, for example. How each year had its own rare gem, flower or gift-giving tradition, and every five or ten years marked a big milestone.

Surely Carol knew of all this as well. She blinked as the woman in front of her squeezed a wedge of lemon onto her food, seemingly oblivious to all that was going on. Picked up her wine and thought of paper, cotton or leather and so, so much more. It was wood for the fifth year of the couple, was it not? Or was it silverware? She couldn't tell for sure.

Therese started to drift down alongside their memory lane. Although she had bought a lot of new clothes and books during their first two years together, now she could not decide if all those purchases were linked to their relationship… or if they were due to her new job at the Times and thus the need to become more "grown-up".

They’d acquired some new furniture for their home around the third year.

She didn’t know what the symbol for the fourth year was, for it all was getting a bit too blurry around the edges of her logical thinking – oh, damn this wine.

So the question here was: were she and Carol engaged? Were they to be …married, one day? An approximation of the concept anyway, since they could not be so in the legal sense of it…

Happiness shot through her body, bright and fascinating, although a bit too much to dive headlong into during this dinner of their first night on vacation.

And so, even as everything was galloping a thousand miles a minute, she tried very diligently to not let it show itself right there and jump straight out of her heart. Reaching for a fresh cut of lemon waiting between their plates, Therese shot Carol a wink as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone :) This story will be around 3 chapters... I don't think I can write the next updates quickly, but of course, my productivity works in a funny manner :)
> 
> I suddenly wanted to write something nice a few days ago as I was contemplating the ...uh, geopolitical and economic hardship (hell?) the world is going/will be going through. This is a special love letter destined for Lombardy, Italy... I truly do love you. The warm sunlight of Bergamo on my skin was indescribable.
> 
> I hope everyone here is/will be in good health :)


	2. Chapter 2

With the telly running like white noise, Therese sat still and let herself be carried away by the endless stream of conversations. To be fair, she had settled for a news channel that broadcasted exclusively in Italian, but the lack of understanding was not the sole reason why her mind was floating right next to the moon right now.

Ever since their dinner together, she could not stop imagining what it would feel like, to be Carol’s new bride.

Could it mean the same intense, show-stopping expectations for all the other couples out there? For each time this one train of thought came back up in her head, the blush that took over her complexion was so _fierce_ … So much that for a long moment she almost forgot her surroundings, her own last name and just about everything else. Belivet who?

Well… if it were to become her maiden name, there'd be no need to remember it all too often anyway…

Rolling her eyes to put away all these silly daydreams, she heard the bathroom door click open and then gentle footsteps started to move around. A moment of suspense as Therese held her breath… Before Carol settled in, flushed against her side – even though this was a rather big couch, with lots of room left on either side of them – and hummed absentmindedly to the sounds rushing back and forth like a melody from the big screen.

Another minute passed between them as elegant hands rubbed the last smears of cold cream into her neck. The scene cut to some kind of debate, thus someone passionately exclaimed about… whatever it was… and reality only seemed to rush into Carol's ears now as her movements stilled:

“Oh, my. What is going on. Darling, you’ve been listening to this?”

Therese could not help but giggle aloud at the comical expression spreading forth on the blonde woman’s face. They turned to mirror each other

“After a while they actually start to make sense, I don’t know. Either that, or I am imagining that they do.”

“Of course” – Carol faced the screen with an amused raise of eyebrows, looking not convinced at all.

As she leaned into the taller body, Therese picked out the easiest words flashing on the bottom of the screen to “translate” the report back to her counterpart. For the most part, it went alright, until the latter let out a soft, teasing “Ah…” when lovely montages of a field of Bergamot oranges came up but Therese was in the middle of talking about a bank.

Carol's right arm took to circle around her shoulders to rest against the back of the couch, while her left hand (carefully manicured, as per always) leisurely dragged its way up and down her thighs – “Such strange names they all have here. I don’t think I’ve ever run into a “Pietro” in New York… Have you? You and all of your artist friends, sometimes I don’t think I can keep up.”

And everyone thought that Therese was the one who came up with bizarre ramblings.

“Is it Italian for Peter, or is it the other way around?”

Truly at a loss for words, she had taken to marveling at whatever it was that the two-dimensional people were talking about with all these flourishing gestures. Then Carol released her body and reached forward to switch through channels, her backside slightly raised off of the edge of the couch and Therese made sure to catch an eyeful of _that_.

Life in Italy sure was sweet, sweet beyond measure.

When her beautiful muse let go of the device to sit back into place, she moved to rest her head against the plane of her shoulder – the way things always were back in New York – and they both felt pleased.

Now that she’d gotten all comfortable physically, Therese wiggled onto the armchair placed in the middle of her mind while metaphorically rubbing both hands together for a good start. _Now_ was the perfect time for her to revisit the thoughts of being Carol's brand-new bride.

Every corner of her brain got shaken up for her to gather details from the books and movies that she had loved, much like the way one'd look for loose coins.

In one moment, Therese saw herself being carried by her beautiful Carol as she walked past the threshold of their bedroom. It made for amazing food for thought… although she was well aware that neither of them had _that_ much strength on their upper arms to pull it through. But a girl could dream…

Next was the both of them getting dressed to walk into church hand in hand. In this sequence, Abby almost invariably sat on the front row and dabbed at her eyes as Rindy swung her legs back and forth in excitement. Just because she could, Therese took great fun in toying with their imaginary clothes: of course, they started out wearing white dresses. Before she could have the time to savor this scene properly, everything moved with a sudden blur and Carol now was fitted into a fancy suit ensemble. Maybe that one kind that had shiny lapels to complement her dreamy eyes?

Either way, she carefully filed all of that into a new corner labeled “To be continued”.

Somehow the next logical step her mind took her to was a snapshot of the both of them in clothing usually made for handsome bridegrooms, standing impossibly proud in the middle of a generic-looking church. Although not unpleasant, not at all, the imagery was just so _odd_ that she exhaled her laughter out against Carol's smooth neck, there where she'd been nestling into.

Ruby red-coated fingertips drummed in quick succession on top of her thighs – almost to ask about it, but instead what came out was – "Well, this movie is going nowhere now. Darling, is it too early for bed?"

She didn’t have it in herself to complain about the movie, really, as scenes after scenes had passed by without her paying a single ounce of attention to any of that.

"Not at all, no. I'll go do my nightly routines in the bathroom. Don't you want to give Rindy a call?"

"Usually Harge wakes her up from her nap around" – Carol glanced at the wristwatch sitting on the coffee table – " …now, actually. Of course. I'll call her now. Thanks for reminding me, my darling angel."

That earned her a soft kiss – "Alright, you’re welcome. I'll be quick."

…

Well. Quick as she’d tried to be, when she emerged out from the bathroom it was to the sight of blonde curls bobbing and Carol moving away from the phone handle.

“Harge is getting ready to take her to some kind of event with his parents. She asked me to blow you a kiss. I’m sorry, I did try dragging it out longer to wait for you, did you want to talk to her?”

No matter how short the conversation could be, Therese always _loved_ to chat with Rindy. Since Carol and Harge had been trying to get along these past two years with joint custody arrangements, as a byproduct she herself was earning quite a substantial role in the little girl’s life.

They actually had contemplated bringing her along for this trip, but then half a week later after having broached the subject over the phone, Harge called back to inform them that… well, his parents had had some choice words to tell him about it.

Having learned all the subtle ways to read people, she knew that he meant well (despite never wanting to understand the depth of their relationship), and that he had made a serious effort to bend the will of those vile, vile people. Some things just could not be helped, was what she’d whispered to Carol’s grim mouth that night.

They then thought of canceling the whole trip altogether, but Abby – bless her soul – sniffed it out and came over one weekend morning to remind them of their upcoming anniversary… Even went as far as waving the color-coded map back into their faces, and that was that. (Sold!)

No more objections were allowed afterward. So now here they were, ready to buy souvenirs in every palace they'd step foot into.

-

From between Carol's smooth legs (the thrill of it reserved for Therese and Therese alone), she pulled away, landed on her back and made a point to drag that glorious body halfway over and on top of her own. It felt… boneless… Deflated, even: there was no better word to describe it now.

The sly, smug grin she was sporting did not need to be explained any further.

"Oh, _darling_. I thought you wanted to go to bed early."

"Breathe, Carol, breathe" – The glare that shot her way would have been so much more "icy" coming from those grey eyes, had it not been for the fact that her irises were now covered by a dazed, cloudy sheen: Both of their bodies had been very _athletic_ a mere minute ago.

Therese continued

"You know, you were the one who asked me to keep going."

"My darling thinks she's the clever one…" – With a deep sigh, the blonde woman poked at her shoulder and then moved to settle on her back as well.

“How was it?”

“How was… ? You moving so much that my hips ache?” – Carol dragged her in with a hand weaving alongside dark hair – “It was the best I’ve ever had.”

“Better than in New York, right before this trip?”

“Oh hush, don’t push it. I'm too tired to think…”

Therese felt herself sink into a heap, for Carol had been very thorough with her pleasure as well. Thank God they had thought to open up the windows, "just in case", before starting to boss each other around.

"And how was it for you?"

It took a lot of cheek, but Therese managed to pretend with a bland tone – "It was alright, I suppose."

"Really? Just "alright"? I know all of your sounds, you saucy little thing"

Caught more easily than a wild rabbit drunk on its cider, she chuckled without denying, and then they both sighed dreamily while enjoying the view of pale skin on this strange bed.

After a moment or two, Carol turned her head and sought out eye contact with her signature hum – "Do you want to talk? Tell me whatever it is that's on your mind?"

There was no raised eyebrow, and the tone of her voice did not sound serious nor overtly apprehensive either. It was just curiosity, a kind of freedom that had helped all doors wide open.

Now on her stomach, Therese moved closer to kiss Carol on one of her cheeks. The type of contact that had her face press deep into her profile, and with this proximity she could take in her favorite scent and synchronize their breathing together.

"I will, but maybe not now… nor tomorrow. Is that alright?"

"Should I be worried? I mean… what I want to ask is. You are not worrying alone, away from me, are you?"

Nothing like that at all. It was not out of fear or worry that Therese was being secretive: even if Carol said no, she knew that it would not mean absolute rejection. She just wanted to finish dreaming, and when she finally saw it fit to invite Carol into this new world together, it needed to be asked with a steady voice.

In fact, she herself could not wait any longer, but …not now. Not now.

They stared into each other's eyes, and her silky voice picked up again – "You think too much, my little love. Let everything move naturally. Isn't it so grand that we'll have a whole week of vacation here?"

It truly was a great life they were living together. She agreed wholeheartedly, and their prolonged eye contact seemed to be soothing Carol as well.

"And alright darling, of course it is alright. Take your time… but let's sleep now, what do you say? I'm thinking of wearing that skirt you _loved_ tomorrow morning, do you think your camera skills can work with that?"

-

A while later, Therese stayed up and waited. Even to her own two ears, this sounded incredibly melodramatic:

She moved around. Turned and rolled in bed to make sure that Carol had really fallen deep within the charm of slumber, and that she would not wake up all of a sudden halfway into this _great rehearsal_ that she had planned.

With her hands clutching onto the manicured ones in the thin slice of space between their hearts, Therese cleared her throat somewhat noisily…

To complete silence. Not even an incoherent “Uh-huh”, nothing twitched in response and the blonde woman’s breath kept on running slow and steady. This felt about right.

And so, here went:

“Carol, I love you."

Then another deep breath

"Will you marry me?”

Therese whispered to the beautiful, serene face she felt destined to love, and knew that that really was the perfect phrase to say – nothing more, nothing less. The past five years had led them up to this moment. (Maybe not this _exact_ moment per se, for this merely was just a round of rehearsal. Soon.)

This felt like enlightenment, although she was not surprised.

And in case she’d be the one whose hand was asked, “I will” was the next thing she said, and the grin that overtook her face was _so_ intense that the minute she waited before kissing her bride was the longest she had ever lived through in her own world, before-Carol or not.

_Oh Carol._

_I’ll be your bride and you’ll be mine as well. If you will, then I will! Of course I will, and then we’ll be so happy forever…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there :) I hope everyone is doing great


	3. Chapter 3

Peaceful mornings far away from the daily grind were so, so precious: the excitement and pure joy upon this re-discovery washed over their love like fresh air. No one had to wake up early to go start the coffee brewing, and it meant that no one had to up and leave this warm bed just yet. Carol was hers, only hers for as many hugs and kisses as she wished for the time being.

And then, whenever they felt up for it, breakfast would be fresh and plenty down the buffet hall standing near the front entrance. Therese felt like she should pinch herself on the arm soon, for a swift dose of reality check.

Comfortable in their embrace, she rested halfway on top of Carol's body with fingertips stroking all the expanses of skin that they could reach. First was the length of her neck bobbing around soft inhales. Then her deep collarbones… features very similar to those found in the finest tier of Roman artworks.

"Darling, you're so soft…"

Carol's hands took the time to travel and roam all over her back as well.

"Such a sweet thing in my life, too. You always have been"

The swell of her chest, slowly, very slowly down under. The sultry voice of the owner of this body was spurring her on, every touch becoming more and more daring

"And you're so good to me."

Then by the end of this journey of daily discovery, Therese rose and settled fully on top with her hands claiming on bare hips – "Am I?"

" _Of course._ "

"Well. Now you've gone and made me sound like a big piece of torrone…"

For whatever it was that Carol had been expecting her to give as a response, the joke certainly threw an enormous curveball her way. After a very quick flash of incredulity, that wonderful face threw itself backward onto the pillow with a bout of rich, endless laughter – "Therese, dearest. What on Earth?"

"You know torrone, the nougat?" – And then Therese could not help but chuckle as well, pleased that the silly joke had pulled out such sounds from the woman she was in love with.

She sighed dreamily when her attention shifted and settled upon that… that wide, sweet, utterly _impossible_ mouth.

Her cheekbones and facial structure made for a sort of "brackets" that framed and complemented it beautifully. As she now was staring without a word – thinking herself drugged of love and secrets of last night – the panther's grin stretched forth like a lure, and so she bent down to taste sweet lips and all the other things they hid inside.

Oh, of course, Therese was a _big_ fan of that sensual tongue as well, but poetry could always wait for another time and place… Just not now. Not right this moment.

As a matter of fact, she'd gotten too busy kissing to keep on thinking…

"I know what torrone is, my little comedian. Now you've gone ahead and made me hungry!" – Firm hands dragged her body down and under for them to settle skin against skin, with the blanket up to shoulders so it could shield their happiness safe from the chilly breeze of this early morning.

"Well. Darling, would you buy your love some good breakfast?"

"Yes, yes I would… But it's free."

Those grey eyes rarely popped open this wide, especially right after a kiss.

"Free breakfast?" – Carol blinked with hope and a tiniest bit of confusion.

"Of course, don’t you remember? The receptionist told us to be there before 9 in the main building, if we wanted to."

"Oh my… Therese, my sweet torrone. You really keep surprising me. I can't think of anything better than that."

Pulling away from some licks that were starting to get indecent, she reluctantly left their warm nest to go get ready – "Hmmm. Your first good news of the day."

A few steps to retrieve their luggage, then Therese sorted through their clothes for the second day of vacation. All motions were confident and sure (which meant: her cheeks did not burn too much) as she sifted around the side compartment, and matched the most "inviting" set of underwear on top of Carol's ensemble du jour.

Along with the skirt that she loved oh so very much, of course.

When she looked back up to check for any objection or further teasing, Carol had settled with her back against the headboard and fingers trying to tame blond curls.

"My _first_ good news?"

Trying to act cool about all of this, Therese shrugged and started to move towards the bathroom with her own pile of clothing in hands – "Come on now, I'm starved!"

Late at night, The proposal

Side by side, they'd had the most wonderful day together, so much that all of this had started to feel like a dream that'd last for lifetimes. Around empty corners where there’d be no witness, they even held hands with tiny, flirty looks.

The palace up on the sunny hill: checked… Light lunch, a ferry trip to Bellagio for sightseeing, and then it was just the both of them walking around town with her helplessly staring at the sight that was one Carol Belivet (?). Dinner came, they drank and ate but the intense staring did not let up, not even once – Therese could not manage it even for a full half-hour.

Checked, checked and checked, she supposed with both eyes rolling. If anything, no major tripping accident had taken place, so in the end she'd still call today a big win pre-proposal.

When she stepped outside from the cabin to rejoin her love, Carol was sitting on one of the nearest benches next to the front door, her back resting against the wall and eyes glued onto their map with undivided attention – "Darling, love, would you come and look at this?"

"Yes?"

Therese gave her one of the drinks and sat down closer to be able to look at the map.

"There's this area inside of Switzerland… right next to the border they share with Italy" – A fingertip tapped against the tiny rectangle Carol had been in the middle of examining.

"Uh-huh"

"It says Campione _D'Italia_ , so it must be Italian land. But it's in Switzerland! Oh, isn't that just about the strangest thing ever? Don't you think so?"

Well… yes and no. Proposing without a ring while feeling _this_ confident should be thought of as "the strangest thing ever" as well… But for some reason bigger than love, upon reaching into her heart Therese was surprised to find the steady beats drumming on along, as ready as could ever be.

It’d go great: first of all, there had been that “rehearsal” moment late last night. Alone in the bathroom just now. While pouring whiskey and one last time as she was legging her way out from the cabin's kitchenette.

Grinning like a lovesick fool, she felt amused by the way Carol was insisting with this brand new discovery. _D'Italia_ this and that.

Not too many people were allowed to see the way she lived her life beyond the name of "Carol Aird": during the hours and days after having been bribed up with food, some good drinks and kisses, her beloved panther tended to turn cozy with quite a fair case of a loose-y mouth.

"I'm sure there’s an explanation for it somewhere. Maybe it was an agreement during wartime?"

"Oh you, of course you'd know everything" – With the map still open in both palms, Carol draped herself over to plant the sweetest peck that could be found in all of this side of the Earth onto the top of her cheek.

Such was the behavior of the domesticated panther Therese had managed to record. To make this scene so much more endearing to the ears, Carol wasn't even tipsy! She had tried to limit the wine consumed during meals earlier that day, and even now there only was a humble amount of the smoky liquid inside each of their glasses.

After all, with all the things she wanted to say before midnight, it was only right to keep both of their heads as sharp as possible.

Still pressed flush against her side, the blonde woman had picked up the small drink and was now leisurely sipping on it while staring at Therese with love written on her face. Another gulp or two, then once again she leaned forward with amorous intentions.

And all this time Therese's heart was beating so loudly! Could she somehow hear it? Another kiss _that way_ from those lips and surely the poor muscle would burst up into a million pieces of lovesick confetti.

Carol pushed her flush against the wall – as tightly as possible given their position side by side on this seat – for another long moment before finally pulling away to give their mouths some rest. With a perfectly sensible, self-satisfied grin, happy grey then turned back down to inspect the map.

Twirling her drink in close motions, Therese now took some time to think of all the best ways there were to get the topic going. It was bad taste to forego good manners and just jump straight into the middle of everything, was it not?

"Carol?"

"I'm listening, dear"

"What do you think about …marriage?"

Oh no. That was not smooth _at all_. With a frown, she looked deep into the bottom of her glass, past the amber liquid now rolling.

"Huh. Well, I can't say that I truly enjoyed it with Harge…"

She turned around to where Carol was sitting: Sure enough, the blonde woman's face did not seem to register the beginning of this very important exchange. Her silky voice went on like a soft stream of water

"Why so curious though, darling? It was there for a little while, and Rindy came into my arms like the sweetest gift. Most of the time… everything was just _so_ tiring. And then" – Her soft smile was directed towards the tiny print of Italian town names

"One day the dark clouds just… cleared up and all went away. Simple as that. And I've got you in my life ever since."

Was it true that Carol had not understood the hint? The slight tremble of her voice upon the word “marriage”?

Should she just directly say it out loud, right here right this moment with one knee bent on top of soft grass?

"Would you look at that, I did not know that Milan was this close to where we are. Should we go there early and then take the last train back here late at night? So we won't have to bother ourselves with another hotel room…"

Despite all this astonishment, Therese felt the corners of her lips start to lift up as well: this woman usually was the only person who managed to detect the ever-rolling thoughts inside of her mind. How refreshing it was to see her blond head bobbing up and down, ranting alone about vacation plans while being completely oblivious to the rising tsunami that was their love.

"You _know_ how much I hate it, all these pleasantries back and forth with receptionists to get us into the same room. All the times we’ve had to complain about twin beds, just so they'd give us a queen one and be over with it!"

Although for slightly different reasons, both of them were now leaning against each other while sporting wide grins – Carol with her reminiscing of the past, and Therese with the much-needed talk about their relationship in present tense.

"Dearest, do you remember our third anniversary when they gave us the honeymoon suite because all the other rooms were full?"

Happy grey finally left all the rivers and cities on the map to train expectantly on her face – "You aren’t laughing with me. Was it not a funny story? I know my acting was so bad when I stood there and “hesitated”… "

Giving her love a healthy dose of those "champion on the podium", million-megawatt dimples, she reached out and took their map away – "Our third year's trip really was a lot of fun. And of course we can spend some time to visit Milan! Maybe tomorrow or the next day?"

Carol blankly nodded at the quick, no-nonsense tone of her voice. With her own palms now cupping the slightly larger, well-manicured ones whose fingertips were painted the color of her heart, Therese squeezed softly

"What I've been meaning to ask you is, Carol–"

Some more clueless blinking ensued. It was now or never… or maybe she could stop and try again in May?

(No. Absolutely not. She wanted everything to happen _now_.)

"Will you marry me?"

Those grey eyes did not just widen up, they basically were blown the same size as her surprise. With hands and knees bumping underneath the yellow lamps, the blonde woman shifted her whole body towards her own and leaned forward – "Oh, my darling…"

While waiting for her response, Therese could only soothe and caress her palms, hoping that these movements would convey everything: that she'd try to be so kind, so gentle always. She'd care for Carol and let herself be taken care of as well…

That there was to be no more barrier between their hearts, and they'd move through this life together as one.

Very quickly, her greatest love took her hands away only to grasp and pull insistently on Therese’s as she stood up. That majestic, silky voice sounded a little bit choked as she managed:

"Darling, come on in. Yes, a thousand times yes, in whatever language you could want me to say… But let us come inside first."

Following Carol like they were both swimming through a hazy trance, she let herself be pulled up and into the tiny cabin. Once inside – just merely past the threshold on their way to the living area, she ended up taking the lead – "Do you want to come and sit on the couch?"

The door slammed shut, grey eyes were now fixed on her face with a kind of intensity rarely witnessed. Therese tried once more – "Do you… Oh, but of course. Do you want me to go down on one knee?"

Their hands threading together like a lifeline’s grip, she’d only started to sink maybe a foot or two down lower before strong arms caught around her waist and pulled her in. In that same motion, their joined bodies leaned back onto the closed door with Carol's back flush against wood.

"I just want to be able to see all of you… and the couch is much too far away from here" – The panther's gaze roamed wildly – "Can you ask me one more time?"

As those eyes were zoning in onto every small movement she’d make, Therese leaned up, using her own body to press the taller one deeper against wood with a sort of bravado now that she had said _yes_ on the bench outside.

"I. Love. You. Very much, _so much_ that I am sure that no other couple has ever gotten to feel love the same way that we do. So will you marry me? Love me and be my wife?"

Every inch up in her brain went into short-circuit upon seeing imperious grey on the verge of bursting apart – "Oh. Carol, my love. No, don't cry…"

Carol let loose a soft chuckle with one palm trying to wipe away wet eyes

"I've never imagined…"

So clumsily, they brushed off the last stray tears together before her new bride's body seemed to sag against the door. She held them up and gave Carol some much-needed time and comfort to process through all of her feelings.

"Yes, I will. I'll be your bride tonight, and then your wife starting from tomorrow until whenever the end of time might be. To be your sweet bride…" – Her body puffed up somewhat straighter – "Oh. It sounds _so good_."

Upon eye contact, Therese grinned with happiness as well. For all of her short journey running laps around the bright, sweet sun – the better part of it having witnessed the both of them together – she truly had never felt anything like this before.

Inhaling deeply, Carol started to move towards their bedroom while pulling her along for a kind of slow, soft pas de deux.

“Darling. My kind, sweet and beautiful darling who asked me to marry her today…”

-

Some unknown time later that night, one of Carol’s hands wrapped against her lower back underneath the covers, while the other reverently passed to and fro around every corner of her face – “Are you really my wife?”

Therese squirmed and smiled bashfully: each half hour or so, Carol would ask this same question one more time. Was it the sly panther’s possessiveness who wanted to hear the affirmation over and over, or was it just her sweet woman wanting her feet to never touch the ground?

At any rate, her happiness had started to surge like crazy ever since their whispers on that bench outside, and so playing along was as easy as breathing air in – “I am, I truly am, and _this_ is forever.”

“Good.” – With one palm pressed flush against the side of her neck contently, her greatest love purred – “Or should I say… _That’s that_?”

Playing with blond curls for a quiet moment as Carol moved between kissing all over her face and ducking in to snuggle against her shoulder, she noticed that the “dozing” part had started to stretch on more and more.

“Carol, let’s go to bed.”

“But I’m not sleepy…” – Soft grey fought to keep itself open and Therese could not help but smile at her demeanor.

“Come on now, we should wake up early in the morning for Milan.”

“Leave it for the next day then, darling. I don’t want us to leave this bed before midday tomorrow.”

“Really. So what happened to Miss “Milan is a lot closer than I thought” and “I will eat two-thirds of this plate of mortadella because breakfast is free”? Should I also mention “I want to try pizza in Varenna because it kind of rhymes”?”

Not rising up to the bait when Therese dangled it back and forth like this really was a testament to Carol’s sweet behavior tonight. Her beloved (usually very feisty) panther snuggled even deeper into her embrace – “Ah. All of that was before a certain _someone_ asked me to become her Missus. And I said yes, very naturally!”

She rubbed Carol’s shoulders and they settled into a cocoon of comfortable silence.

“I…” – She started back up, and suddenly felt so shy when deep grey moved to catch her voice – “Should I have waited? Until I’ve found a ring I mean?”

“Darling, none of that now. Today was… extraordinary… I feel like I’ve been waiting for your love all of my life. Let everything move naturally, would you?”

The unintentional repetition of the phrase she'd already said less than 24 hours ago seemed to help something dawn inside those eyes as well.

“Is this what's been on your mind ever since yesterday evening?”

With a light tint of blush, Therese nodded to confirm.

Carol seemed to be sifting through the words she wanted to say next – “And… how long have you been waiting to ask me?”

“It came to me yesterday, just like that. I realized that we’d been together for five years, and that I wanted to have so many more with you. I wanted the whole deal.”

Something skipped over the blonde woman’s beautiful face – so, so quickly, but it really was there. Therese felt her own eyes blinking like an owl:

“What are you thinking about?” – A soft chuckle – “You’re the one who asks me that usually. It’s so strange hearing it from my own voice.”

“Nothing, dear. I’m feeling so sleepy all of a sudden, that’s all.”

They both hesitated. Should she accept it and not dig any further?

But then again, wanting Carol to sleep well instead of staying up alone and mulling over everything in the dark like the way she had last night, Therese moved closer, and closer still – any more flush than this would be physically impossible.

“If you want to tell me, you can. I’m your wife now.”

It was more than just a simple fact, really: the hesitation was mutual just there, and they were now blushing together upon hearing that one warm word. It was as if they had started to come along as one unit ever since Carol’s “Yes, I will”, a connection that linked everything together deeper than just kisses.

Therese would love to know about whatever it was that her wife had in mind, but only if she wanted to share of course. Should she ask more insistently? Knowing that her muse slept quite poorly with one too many thoughts running on rampant.

Her blond head slipped into the crook of her shoulder before starting to whisper about something: too faint, the sounds faded away unintelligibly.

“I can’t hear you at all…”

“ _I said_ ” – Carol almost pouted. Was this some kind of new heaven? Should Therese ask for them to wake up and get married every other day just to be able to see this side of hers all the time? – “If I don’t tell you, my mind won’t let me rest well tonight, will it?”

She chuckled – “You don’t have to say anything if you don't want to. Maybe we can think of something to do… for you to fall asleep. Something that’s been efficient every single time?”

Her body moved to settle on top of Carol’s with _very_ clear intentions, and they kissed once more before soft palms clung onto her shoulders:

“Darling, I thought that you’d somehow caught wind of me looking for a ring to give _you_.”

Oh. Therese had not known that. Had not even realized that Italy could open up the gates into some sort of bespoke heaven until very, very recently.

“What–”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you to marry me. Maybe sometime in May… when it’s summer and everything is beautiful and not too hot just yet. We could go for a walk around Central Park one Saturday morning. Once back at home I’d pop the box open and…”

There really was no way she could have foreseen any of this, out on the bench earlier as Carol rambled on about Milan.

“But my darling wife wanted to do everything her own damn way, after all. Well. Aren’t I just the luckiest person on Earth ever? Now that I’ve got her?”

“But how would you know my ring size? What kind of shops are you even visiting… and what have you found so far? I can’t let you spend too much on me.”

“Oh, hush now. Angel, why don’t you be a sweet thing for me and act _so shocked_ when May comes around? Can you do that?”

“Nothing too extravagant, do you hear me?”

“Whatever do you mean? You’ve been my wife all this time darling, and I only was asked to be yours earlier tonight. I won…” – Carol yawned and softly pecked her on the nose – “So I can do whatever I want. It just so happens that what I want is for my wife to own the _biggest_ diamond anyone could find on all of our side of New York… So what?”

"What?? Don't do that! And you did not _win_ … That's not how any of this works, I don’t even know what else to tell you."

Another peck came on along. Grumbling, pushing and pulling the way old married couples were inclined to do, they kissed for one last time before all agreeing on their loss to Cupid.

Harsh winters and well-placed gloves – such were the small prices they’d paid to be found in each other’s arms right this moment. Pierced by a lover’s kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand then they live happily ever after :-)
> 
> Here's to hoping that everyone will be well and healthy. Rough roads ahead, am I right? (Speaking from personal experiences, I spent 2 days proofreading this chapter just to avoid thinking about Kim Jong-un's health and whatever it might mean...)
> 
> If you would like to, I can be found at muongtrinh.tumblr.com (there's quite a bit of Impressionist paintings I like and other stuff as well)
> 
> And goodbye (for now) :)


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